Cat 637E, 631E, and D9Ls are here!

That's right. Fresh off the truck and in our warehouse, the cartons of our Cat 637E Scrapers, 631E Scrapers, D9L Track-Type Tractors in both Push and Impact ripper versions await shipping.

It's always exciting to see our projects come to completion, and the final step is getting the model in the hands of our patiently waiting collectors. Shipments will be going out in the next week or so.

These models are all requested for sale to customers, so if you missed out on these we remind you to always put yourself on on our wait list for a model as soon as it's announced. It doesn't cost you anything, just give us a call at 503-626-6395.

Memorable Model: Cat D11R Track-Type Tractor in 1:24 scale

In 2001 we released one of our most acclaimed scale models–the D11R Track-Type Tractor. The largest Cat tractor to date, the D11R is a flagship piece of construction equipment for the Caterpillar company, and as such we wanted to give it its due.

Opening and latching cab doors, a detailed engine compartment, a single shank ripper with working pin puller and a working dual tilt blade are just a few of the unique features found on this remarkable model. Working at the larger 1:24 scale allowed us to include details that would have been lost on a smaller model, such as bolt heads, perforated shrouds, electrical lines, and safety rails of a proper thickness.

The Standard, Carrydozer, and Mining White versions

Collectors who purchased the D11R were able to choose from one of three paint variations as well as a general or carry dozer blade which enhanced the future value of each version.  Each model was shipped with a brass serial number plate which served as a certification of authenticity.

Apart from the transparent acrylic windows and rubber hoses, this model was hand crafted completely of brass castings and delicately soldered brass sheet.  Each of the  300 models in the edition was hand assembled and painted - assuring quality beyond what is possible in a mass-production process.

The prototype comes together in unpainted brass

A craftsman in South Korea assembles a D11R model

Our D11R model received rave reviews worldwide, and to this day remains one of our most treasured editions. Originally sold at $3,495 each, these models command much more than that price when they come up for sale. The rarity of a construction model of this quality has only served to make this one of the most unique and popular such pieces ever created.

Japanese model magazines covering CCM's D11R

Glen Barton, retired CEO of Caterpillar, stands with his D11R model in 2004

Memorable Model: The Marion 7200 Walking Dragline

On May 13, 1939, the very first Marion walking dragline ever built was shipped to Placer Properties in Oakland, California. Although it was originally built as a prototype, that same Model 7200 was still operating at American Aggregate Corporation's Indianapolis yard over fifty years later. In 1994 Classic Construction Models was honored to pay tribute to the legacy of that machine and the 7200s that followed it with a special limited edition of just 150 models.

Built to a precision 1:48 scale, our all brass model of the Marion 7200 Walking Dragline was carefully developed from original drawings supplied by Marion and a painstaking field survey of the actual machine. Each of the digging movements–hoist, drag, boom topping and swing–are fully functional, along with walking shoes that move in the same “up and over” motion as those on the real machine.

We delivered the model to our customers fully assembled and rigged with a perfectly scaled version of the 6-cubic yard bucket and 100’ boom that were on the original machine. This would be our only model of a walking dragline until 2009, when we made a replica of the largest ever built, the Big Muskie.

The adjustable boom had a length of 25” and the body a length of 9.5” making this an impressive looking piece on a shelf or desk.  The width of the model at the outside of the shoes was 8.5” and the body was 9” tall. It weighed just over 9 pounds. These models sold originally by reservation only for $1795 each, and occasionally can be found in secondary markets today for a great deal more.

Iron Profile: The Caterpillar D8 Through History

Few pieces of equipment are more representative of the history of Caterpillar than their D8 track-type tractors. This family of machines has been an integral part of the Caterpillar line from its farm and agricultural roots to the construction and mining equipment powerhouse it is today.

First introduced in 1935 as the RD8, this tractor was immediately popular for its balance of size and power. As the years went by, a multitude of attachments and modifications would be made available from both Caterpillar and allied equipment manufacturers. This included products such as cable-operated bulldozer blades, canopies, push blocks, pipelayer cranes, and towed scrapers. Each year saw successive improvements in design, features and horsepower.

As the construction industry grew hungry for machines to build America, the D8 tractor catered to their desires with reliable performance. Military versions of the D8 found their way to the theaters of World War II and provided critical support for the construction needs of American forces.

HISTORIC D8 HIGHLIGHTS:

The RD8 debuts in 1935. Based on a Caterpillar Seventy-Five with a little more horsepower, it wouldn't be long before it was updated with the D13000 six-cylinder diesel engine, pushing it to 95 drawbar horsepower and 108 belt horsepower. Its operating weight was 50,025 lbs.

By the 1950s the D8 would have style changes to the body and the ever-reliable D13000's horsepower was increased 150 at the drawbar. With thousands of units in the field, the D8 dropped the "R" in its designation and was a top seller in Caterpillar's stable.

Before the larger D9 was created, any demands for a more powerful tractor were sometimes met with unique solutions. The Twin D8 above was one of only three developed by Peterson Tractor's Special Equipment Services between 1949 and 1951. Tested with a variety of attachments, one would eventually be equipped with a custom 22-foot wide bulldozer blade. Peterson engineers would directly influence Caterpillar Research more than any other outside source at the time.

The D8H in 1969, shown here with a standard hydraulic bulldozer blade.  Some of the many other attachments available were front and rear push blocks allowing multiple D8s to push equipment together end-to-end, and a three-shank ripper for breaking up rock on a job site.

A D8K Track-Type Tractor, circa 1974. The machine now boasted 300 flywheel horsepower provided by the Cat D342 turbocharged, fuel-injected, six-cylinder diesel engine. Improvements had been made all around; the frame made thicker for more durability, a higher load handling transmission, and a larger radiator for more efficient cooling. This unit is shown with optional ROPS (Roll Over Protection System) Modular Cab, heavy-duty radiator guard, track roller guards, hydraulic control, 8S Bulldozer and multishank ripper.

In 1981 Caterpillar introduced a completely redesigned tractor with the D8L. The most obvious of these improvements was the elevated final drives and sprockets. This system, first introduced In the D10 tractor, allowed the final drives, clutches and brakes to be free of the loads and stress common to the old design. The ROPS and cab were now standard, and the D8L was now the most powerful in the D8 lineage with the 335 flywheel horsepower 3408 turbocharged, V-8 diesel engine.

Caterpillar's current version is the D8T, released in 2004. It features all of the most modern engineering that makes it one of the best bulldozers in the world. The engine is the Cat 15 ACERT six-cylinder diesel, producing a maximum 364 horsepower. Operator controls are ergonomic, responsive, and precise. The powertrain benefits from a century of Caterpillar experience, and its differential steering and power shift transmission allow fine control of an impressive amount of power.

Over the decades of the D8's lifetime, innovations in its design have always been toward optimized operator comfort and maximized production capability. The D8 was quickly accepted as the industry standard for large earth moving applications, and their durability and continuing popularity is easily verified by the number of these tractors still in use today in every type of environment. What the future holds for this series of tractors can only be guessed, but we are be sure the D8 will maintain legendary status.